New book shows officiating is ‘A Tough Job Made Harder’

Review by Mark Schultz If you've followed Football Zebras for any length of time, you know that we break down football officiating and (hopefully) show you how difficult calling a football game is. Between interpreting complicated rules, avoiding getting run over by people twice their size, tuning out 50,000 people chanting

Riveron explains Bears’ TD overturn, predecessors skeptical

NFL vice president for officiating, Alberto Riveron, explained why he overturned Zach Miller's touchdown catch on replay, but that explanation did not convince former officiating boss Mike Pereira. Riveron explained (see Week 8 video) that as Miller's first leg landed (the one horribly injured), the ball was moving. "Now we know

VP of officiating: who WANTS this job?!

Embed from Getty Images   Former vice president of officiating, Mike Pereira (pictured above), knew every Monday during the football season would be busy. In his book, After Further Review, Pereira wrote that he could predict what coaches would be calling and what they wanted to talk about. He had to field calls,

Mike Carey exits CBS

Embed from Getty Images  Report: CBS and Carey 'mutually agreed to part ways'Former NFL official Mike Carey will no longer analyze NFL calls and rules for CBS sports. According to reports, Carey and CBS mutually agreed to go their separate ways.Carey surprised the NFL in the summer of 2014 when he announced

Bears don’t pull off ‘pull and shoot’ on FG shot

Week 4: Packers at Bears (video at 2:30) Early in the fourth quarter, the Chicago Bears' game hopes were hanging by a thread.  The defense had held the Packers in the red zone forcing a field goal attempt.  The field goal was good, however side judge James Coleman threw a flag.  The

R Ron Winter retires after 19 seasons

Football Zebras exclusive Football Zebras has learned that Ron Winter will not be returning for the 2014 season, according to several sources. Winter is the sixth official to retire at the conclusion of the 2013 season and the second from the referee position. Those six retiring officials all worked in the final